LC:M Kicks Off Menswear Show Season In Europe
This past weekend was a particularly busy one. Not only was it World Gin Day, Her Majesty’s official birthday and Father’s Day, but Sunday 16th of June marked a key point in the menswear calendar. Kicking off the official start of the menswear show season, London Collections: MEN (LC:M) showcased SS14’s most hotly-tipped design talent and a larger than ever assembly of the fashion industry’s biggest names. The three-day event, which ran from 16th-18th June, has come a long way in a relatively short space of time, proving in earnest that the menswear industry is going from strength to strength. Now the last lights have been extinguished on the London runways, the menswear literati and buying collective will prepare to decamp to Milan for the next round at the city’s venerated men’s week, before the circus swiftly moves on to the City of Light for the French capital’s spectacle. Even until relatively recently, menswear shows were seen as an afterthought by many design institutions, with most host cities simply tacking on a few menswear shows at the end of women’s week. Times have certainly changed, with menswear designers now enjoying a larger platform than ever to showcase their creations. LC:M began a mere three seasons ago, but has already become a sartorial force to reckon with, with well over fifty names exhibiting their craft for the SS14 round. The menswear community was particularly excited by the presence of sartorial behemoths Alexander McQueen, rag & bone and Burberry, with the latter two labels making their LC:M debuts (reports coming soon). Traditionally a hotbed of design creativity, London has always been renowned for nurturing fresh design talent. The decision for big players such as Burberry and McQueen to show in London is a sign that the British capital is being taken seriously as a major exhibition centre for the more commercial side of the industry. Milan Men’s Fashion Week, running from 21st-25th June, has traditionally been the mainstay podium for menswear, with style powerhouses Dolce & Gabbana,